Press Releases: 2021

Douglas, GA (December 31, 2021) – Two GBI offices were requested to assist with related investigations last night where several people were shot or shot at and one person died. The suspected shooter also died by a suspected self-inflected gunshot wound at the end of a police chase.

Athens, GA (December 29, 2021) – On Tuesday, December 28, 2021, Sean Hopkins, age 34, of Athens, GA, was arrested and charged with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children (Distribution of Child Pornography) and two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children (Possession of Child Pornography). Warrants were obtained for Hopkins following the execution of a search warrant at his home on Monday, December 20, 2021, conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit and the Athens Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD). Hopkins was not in Georgia at the time of the search warrant. The search warrant was in reference to a proactive online investigation by members of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force into individuals sharing files of child sexual abuse material via the internet. The investigation revealed that over the course of approximately three months, Hopkins was sharing files of child sexual abuse material. During the search warrant at Hopkins’ residence, evidence related to this crime was seized. ​​​​​​​

Savannah, GA (December 28, 2021) – The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting in Savannah, GA. The Savannah Police Department (SPD) asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Monday, December 27, 2021. One man has died. No officers were injured.

UPDATE:

DeKalb County, GA (December 27, 2021) - The man involved in this OIS has been identified as Benny Antonio Hood, age 30, of Atlanta.

ORIGINAL RELEASE:

DeKalb County, GA (December 24, 2021) – The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting in DeKalb County, GA.  The DeKalb County Police Department asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Friday, December 24, 2021.  One man has died.  No officers were injured.

Preliminary information indicates that at 1:04 p.m., a Walmart Loss Prevention Officer at the Walmart on Gresham Road, DeKalb County, Georgia made contact with a man who had been putting items in a large backpack and who had attempted to leave the store without paying for the items.  A DeKalb County P.D. officer working an off-duty job and another DeKalb County P.D. officer attempted to make contact with the man as he was walking out of the store.  The man ran back into the store and police officers and the loss prevention officer followed.  The man drew a handgun and fired at the police officers and loss prevention officer.  During the incident, an officer attempted to tase the man.  The man ran outside of the store, holding the gun. During the incident, an officer fired his gun, hitting the man.  The man died on scene. 

Dublin, GA (December 27, 2021) – On Monday, December 27, 2021, Alyssa Danielle Wild, age 29, of East Dublin, was arrested during a traffic stop in Franklin, TN. Wild was wanted in connection to the murder of Charles Stephen Holmberg, age 38, of Cuthbert. Wild is charged with Murder with additional charges pending. She is currently being held in the Williamson County (TN) Jail. The investigation revealed that Wild and Holmberg were in a relationship.

Atlanta, GA (December 27, 2021) – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an officer involved shooting investigation in Atlanta, Fulton County, GA. On Sunday, December 26, 2021, the Georgia State University Police Department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident that occurred on 17th Street in Midtown Atlanta. One teenage male was shot and is in stable condition.

Cairo, GA (December 22, 2021) - The GBI has arrested seven people in a home invasion and aggravated assault investigation in Cairo, GA. Five of the seven arrested are under the age of 16.  The Cairo Police Department asked the GBI to provide investigative assistance on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at around 12:50 a.m., for an incident that happened on 4th Street in Cairo.

The victim in the case, an elderly woman, was awakened by the sound of someone breaking into her home.  She confronted the intruders who fired a weapon at her, hitting her at least one time.  The homeowner was also armed with a weapon and shot back at the intruders.  No evidence from the scene indicates any of the multiple intruders were hit.

The following men were arrested:

Dekalin Williams, age 17, of Baconton, GA

Jeremy Williams, age 17, of Cairo

Seven people are charged with Aggravated Assault, Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder, Armed Robbery, Cruelty to an Elderly Person, Burglary, and Home Invasion.  Additional arrests and charges are possible in this case as agents continue to investigate.

Savannah, GA (December 22, 2021) – The GBI is investigating an officer involved shooting in Savannah, GA. The Savannah Police Department asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. One man, identified as Shawn Martin, 45, died. No officers were injured.

Preliminary information indicates that on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, at around 8:30 p.m., Savannah police officers initiated a traffic stop on a stolen 2013 silver BMW X1 based on a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) from the Beaufort County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. South Carolina authorities were investigating an aggravated assault incident where the victim suffered multiple skull fractures and had her car stolen. Police believed that Martin had the car.  

Officers did not find Martin in the car; however, the driver told officers that Martin was at the driver’s mother’s home. Subsequently, officers went to the home and received permission from the homeowner to search for Martin.

At 9:38 p.m., while searching the home, an officer opened a closet door when Martin came out swinging a knife. Officers gave verbal commands to drop the knife, but he did not comply. Two officers fired their weapons, both hitting Martin.  Officers administered first aid and Martin was taken to a local hospital in Savannah where he was pronounced dead.

Columbus, GA (December 20, 2021) –  The GBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Columbus, GA.  The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Wednesday, December 16, 2021.   One deputy was injured in this incident. 

The preliminary information indicates that on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at around 7:00 p.m., a Muscogee County deputy was stopped by a man who reported that his car had just been stolen from the Circle K gas station located at 7330 Veterans Parkway in Columbus, Georgia.  The man, a FedEx driver, had his package scanner in the car and deputies were able to track the car to the intersection of Toney Drive and Buford Avenue.

Deputies initiated a traffic stop on the stolen car with one deputy blocking the front of the truck and the other deputy behind it. The suspect backed the car into the rear deputy’s patrol car and then pulled forward, hitting a deputy in the leg.  Both deputies fired their handguns multiple times at the car as the suspect drove away.  The FedEx package scanner was later found at the intersection of Victory Drive and Engineer Drive.

Police recovered the abandoned stolen car on Thursday night, December 16, 2021.  The GBI determined that the car was hit twice with gunfire that did not penetrate the passenger compartment.  Police have not located or identified the suspect at this time.

The injured deputy was treated and released from the hospital.

Columbus, GA (December 20, 2021) –  The GBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Columbus, GA. The Columbus Police Department asked the GBI to conduct an independent investigation on Monday, December 20, 2021. One teen, age 16, was injured in this incident. No officers were injured.

The preliminary information indicates that on Sunday evening, December 19, 2021, a Columbus Police Officer initiated a traffic stop on the driver of a car for a traffic violation.  Immediately as the officer approached the driver’s side of the car, the driver (male) pointed a handgun at the officer. The officer retreated and there were no shots fired by the driver or officer. The driver of the car sped away from the scene and was not caught.

Later, Columbus Police Department officers were able to identify the driver of the car as a 16-year-old. Police obtained arrest warrants charging the teen with aggravated assault on a police officer, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, possession of a handgun (under 18 years old), and fleeing to elude police.

On December 20, 2021, at 11:36 a.m., a Columbus patrol officer recognized the car from the previous incident. The officer attempted to stop the car, but the driver (male) sped away and hit a car on Veterans Parkway. The driver abandoned his car and ran into the woods on Veterans Parkway. After a short search, an officer located the person, and he had a handgun. The officer gave him verbal commands to drop the handgun, but he did not comply. The officer fired her handgun, hitting the person in the leg. Police administered first aid and the person was taken to a local hospital in Columbus for treatment.  

Police later determined that the person was the 16-year-old involved in the December 19, 2021 incident.